The Satin Bowerbird's Blue Obsession

A satin bowerbird holds the wild passerine longevity record at 26 years.

The species lives only in eastern Australian rainforests and moist forests.

Mature males look uniformly black but show a deep shiny blue sheen.

Females have brown and green feathers with striking blue eyes.

Adult birds eat mostly fruit along with leaves and insects.

Male satin bowerbirds build specialized stick structures called bowers for courtship.

Males decorate bowers with blue objects like berries and plastic pens.

Mature males use more blue objects than any other colour.

Females visit several bowers before choosing one male for mating.

Rival males sometimes destroy each other's bowers. Vandalism is common.

Females lay eggs weighing around 19 grams every other day.

Young birds learn to fly 3 weeks after hatching from the nest.

Male satin bowerbirds need 7 or 8 years to reach maturity.